Heat the oil in a large saucepan and toss in the onion, garlic, celery and leek and stir until beginning to soften. Add the bacon, cook for two more minutes.

Add the other vegetables and cook over a gentle heat for around 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, stock, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes, if you like your soup vegetables very soft cook them longer but I like them to retain their texture. When the vegetables are tender add the beans, pasta and parsley and simmer a further 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the base of the pan. Taste and add salt or pepper as required.

Cooks tip: Soup pasta are generally very small pasta shapes but use whatever you have. Soups like casseroles often taste better the following day so take the leftovers to work for lunch.